John Womack, professor of History, has led a group of 16 Harvard professors in drafting a petition protesting U.S. military involvement in EI Salvador.

Womack delivered the petition to the district office of House Speaker Thomas P O'Neill (D-Mass) Monday on be hall of the Boston Area Faculty Group on Public Issues, an informal group of university faculty members founded more than 20 years ago.

The petition, signed by more than 1200 faculty members from about 60 colleges and university around the country is the group's second in two years.

The paper criticizes the recent increase in U.S. military aid to EL Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, but supports negotiations between the U.S. and Nicaragua and between Honduras and Nicaragua.

The purpose of the petition is to "express the thoughtful opinion of academics on the U.S. policy toward Central America," said Womack, Professor of Law Duncan M. Kennedy, who signed the petition, said, "I hope that this will serve as a base from which we can expand and develop a network of academics who are concerned about Central America."

The group plans to send the petition to other ranking members of Congress, President Reagan, and officials in the State and Defense Departments.